Bottle carrying carton



1 J. L. LYONS, JR 32,481

BOTTLE CARRYING CARTON Filed Feb. 7, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 9, 1947. J. LYONS, JR

BOTTLE CARRYING CARTQN Filed Feb. 7. 1942 4 Sheets- Sheet 2 Dec. 9, 1947. J. L. LYONS, JR

I BOTTLE CARRYING CARTON 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 7 .1942

ask 1 C6 and gal 5'24? Patented Dec. 9, 1947 UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,432,481 BOTTLE emme CARTON JosephL. Lyons, Jr., Chicago, 11., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Empire Box Corporation, Garfield, N. J a corporation of Delaware Application February 7, 1942, Serial No. 429,873

October 30, 1939.

This invention relates to bottle carrying cartons and resides in an improved carton construction which, can be shipped in a flat state and which can be quickly erected into an assembled condition to support and protect a plurality oi bottles therein whereby the bottles may be read ily carried from place to place or stored where and as desired.

One of the important objects of the present invention is to so improve a. bottle carrier car- A further object is to prevent the bottles disposed in side-by-side relation in the carrier from coming in contact with one another by afiording parts on the carrier that will extend between such bottles, and a related object is to utilize at least selected of such parts 'ofthe carrier as well as other parts afiorded thereon to reenforce webs included in the carrier and arranged to deiin'e bottle receiving openings therein.

Yet another object is to so arrange the handle I portion of a carrier of the aforesaid character that a portion thereof may be extended above the tops of the bottles-intended to be placed in the carrier when such bottles are arranged in' the carrier and it is desiredto grasp the free end of such handle portion and to so relate such handle portion to the other parts of the carrier that the entire handle portion may'be so depressed that one loaded bottle carrier of this invention maybe directly stacked upon another such carrier to rest upon the tops of the bottlesin the lowermost of such carriers.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a bottle carrier carton which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, neat .in appearance, and especially well adapted for the purpose of receiving and holding therein in a compact manner, for example, six bottles of a size usually used for beverages.

Other and further objects of the present in- 15 Claims.

vention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are'illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show preferred embodiments and the principle thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle. Other embodiments oi the invention embodying the same or equivalent principle may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation oi the cartonwith the bottles in place therein;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the carton with the bottles in place;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the carton in its folded flat state:

Fig. 4 is an edge view oi the carton in its folded flat state; a V

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view showing the carton in a partially opened condition;

Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views showing portions of the flap construction employed in the carton;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a blank of cardboard or like material cut to form the bottle carton of my invention; Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of a modified form of my carton;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the carton shown in Fig. 9 in its folded flat state; and

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the blankofcardboard or like material cut to form the bottle carrier shown in Figs. 9 and 10. v

Referring to the accompanying drawings; and first to Figs. 1 to 8 thereof, the bottle carrier there illustrated is formed from a blank generally hingedly connected to the bottom section 2 along fold or score lines .1 and 6. The fold lines as 3,

portions in the material of which the blankis made. The blank l'also includes sections 18 and I5 which afford the handle portionoi the aesaeai.

carrier and each of these sections has openings through the opening 29 to thereby afford a smooth edge faced toward the fingers when the carrier is to be grasped and lifted.

In accordance with my invention, the novel bottle receiving sections 3 and 9 are formed in the blank I intermediate the handle section I3 and the side wall 4 and the handle section I8 and the side wall 5. These bottle receiving sections are afforded by webs W which, at their opposite ends, are joined to-the upper edge of the adjacent side wall along a fold or score line as II! or II and to the adjacent handle section along a score line as III or II. Each of the webs W has a bottle embracing edge E formed thereon, and the webs W are spaced one from the other in the bottle receiving section to afford bottle receiving openings therein. ner that will be described more fully hereinafter, each of the webs W has a reeni'orcement afforded thereon.

As best shown in Fig. 8, the side wall sections 4 and 5 and the respective sections of the bottom wall 2 have flap extensions 28 to 35 respectively provided at the free edges thereof which, as shown in Fig. 8, are arranged to be adhesively secured to the sections to which they are joined along fold lines as 49 when the carrier is erected to thereby afford reenforcements for he portions of the carrier onto which they are folded in the course of assembly of the carrier into its flat state shown in Fig. 3.

Moreover, flaps 38, 31, 38 and 39 are provided along the outer edges of the web W at the respective ends of the bottle receiving sections 8 and 9, these flaps being joined to the respective webs along fold lines as F which, as best shown in Fig. 8, substantially bisect the bottle'embracing edges E. Moreover, the flaps 38 and 38 are connected to the adjacent flaps 28 and 32 on the side wall 4 by bellows folds 4| and 42, and the flaps 31 and 39 are correspondingly connected to the flaps 3| and 35 by bellows folds 43 and 44. When the carrier is arranged in its flat state shown in Fig. 3 and is thereafter to be arranged in erected condition, in the course of which erec-' tion the carrier will pass through the semi-erected state shown in Fig. 5, the bellows folds M to 44, inclusive, cause the flaps 36 to 39, inclusive, to assume downwardly extending positions substantially at right angles to the webs as W to which they are connected to thereby afford barriers at the ends of the carrier that are eifective to prevent the bottlesv from falling out of the carriers at the ends thereof and when the flaps 36 to 39, inclusive, are in such substantially right angular relation with the webs W to which they are connected, these flaps serve as reenforcements for such webs.

Moreover, flaps 45 and 46 are joined to the intermediate webs W in the bottle receiving section 8 along fold lines 49 and 50 that substantially bisect the bottle embracing edges E on these webs, and the flaps as 45 and 46 have the ends thereof severed from'the adjacent hapdle sec- Moreover, in a mantion as I9 and the side wall as 4 whereby when the carrier is erected, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the bottom of a bottle is engaged with the flaps, these flaps may be forced downwardly to thereby afford a centrally located bottle receiving opening in the bottle receiving section 8. When the flaps 45 and 45 are thus folded downwardly into substantially right angular relation with the webs as W with which they are connected, they serve as reenforcements for such webs and these flaps also serve to space the bot- ,tle disposed in such centrally disposed bottle receiving opening from bottles disposed in the endmost bottle receiving openings defined between adjacent edges as E. In this respect it will be noted that flaps as 36, 45, 45 and 38 are joined to the respective webs W along the edges thereof opposite those on which the bottle embracing edges E are formed. Moreover, flaps 41 and 48 are joined to the intermediate webs W in the bottle receiving section 9 along fold lines 5i and 52, and these flaps 41 and 4B correspond to the fiaps 45 and 46 described above.

The webs W are so formed and related one to the other in the bottle receiving section 8 that bottle receiving openings I2, I3 and I4 are afforded in this bottle receiving section, and likewise the webs W in the bottle receiving section 9 are so formed and related that bottle receiving openings I5, l6 and II are afforded in this bottle receiving section. Moreover, as an incident to forming the bottle receiving openings I2 and I4 in the bottle receiving section 8 and the formation of the bottle embracing edges E on the webs W at each side of such openings, the material of the blank I is so cut away that flaps 22 and 24 are defined which, when the carrier is in its erected condition, extend downwardly from, but in alignment with, the handlereceiving section I9. Similar flaps 25 and 21 are provided in the bottle receiving openings I5 and II in the bottle receiving section 9 and when the carton is erected, the flaps 22 and 25 and the flaps 24 and 21 so cooperate one with the other that bottles disposed in the openings I2 and I5 are held in spaced relation by the flaps 22 and 25 while bottles disposed in the openings I4 and I! are separated by the cooperating flaps 24 and 21.

In assembling the carton into its flat state, it is folded along the fold or score line 3 after the flaps as 36, 28, 29, 30, 3| and 31 and the flaps 38, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 39 have been folded over onto the sections of the carton to which they are joined along fold or score lines as 40, the flaps at the ends of the side walls as 4 and 5 and at the ends of the-sections of the bottom wall 2 desirably being adhesively secured to the sections of the carton onto which they are thus folded. When the blank is so folded along the fold or score line 3, the handle sections I8 and I9 are brought into parallel relation and thereafter these sections are joined together to afford the handle portion of my novel carrier as by having rivets as 53 and 54, Fig. 3, passed therethrough desirably in positions such as shown in Fig. 3. This results in the carton being assembled'into the flat state thereof shown in Fig. 3.

In erecting the carton from its flat folded state, the side walls 4 and 5 are caused to separate from each other and the hinged bottom section 2 is caused to be flattened out, and to this end the pressure may be applied through the handle portion onto the fold line 3 whereby theparts move through the position shown in Fig. 5 in the course of attaining the erected condition of the carrier shown in Figs. 1 and 2; when the carrien is erected, and as best shown in Fig. 2, the botthe receiving sections 8 and 8 extend in planes somewhat at right angles to the side walls 4 and 6 and in planes somewhat parallel with the bottom wall 2. Furthermore, as stated, by reason of the bellows folds 4|, 42, 43 and 44, the end flaps 3B, 31, 3B and 39 automatically assume a downwardly extending position substantially at right angles to the webs to which they are joined in the bottle receiving sections for as the carrier is being so erectedthe bellows folds 44 automatically move from a condition like that shown in Fig. 7 to a position like that shown in Figs. 2 and 6 and, incidentally, the adjacent flap as 39 attains its downwardly extending position. Also in the course of such erection of the carrierand as best shown in Fig. 5, the adjacent flaps as 24 and 21 (and likewise the adjacent flaps 22 and 25) extend downwardly as extensions of the handle sections 18 and I9 to which they are joined.

-When the carrier is in its erected condition, bottles as 51 may be inserted through the various bottle receiving openings and when bottles are 7 passed through the openings l3 and-l6, the flaps 45, 48, 41 and 48 are pushed downwardly to thereby space the center bottles from the outside bottles and to insure a snug fit with the bottles in the carrier.

The novel carrier of the present invention is so sized and the parts thereof are so related that the carrier is adapted to receive bottles of a predetermined height and the handle portion is so sized that when the carrier is in its erected condition, the free edge of the handle portion may project above the tops of bottles mounted therein. Moreover, the flaps as 22 and 25 and the flaps as 24 and 21 are sosized that when the carrier is in its erected condition, the lower edges of these flaps are spaced from the bottom wall as 2.

Thus, the handle portion includes a part which may extend above the tops ofbottles of the aforesaid predetermined height that are disposed in the bottle receiving openings and rest on the bottom wall. Moreover, the flaps at the lower edge of the handle portion are normally spaced from the bottom wall sufiiciently to enable limited downward movement of the handle portion to thereby enable the upper free end of the handle portion to be moved downwardly substantially into alignment with the tops of the bottles, whereby such parts of the handle portion may be depressed so as not to interfere with the stackingof one bottle carrying cartonof the aforesaid character directly over and upon the tops of the bottles in another such carton. .This arrangement enables a large number of cartons of the present invention to be directly stacked one upon the other for display purposes and the like.

Moreover, the novel web construction included in the bottle receiving section of the carton of the present invention is such that the webs are relatively thin, primarily in the medial portions thereof, but by reason of the novel reenforcement be noted that at least the medial portions of the webs as W are, in accordance with the present terial of which the carton is made, it may not.

always be advantageous to force flaps as 36 and 38- into web reenforcing and bottle receiving positions by inserting bottles into the openings adjacent such flaps. Hence the provision oi means as the bellows folds as 4| effective upon the flaps as 36 and 38 to shift these flaps to depending positions, as an incident to the erection of the carrier, is a highly advantageous feature.

Moreover, it will be noted that the flaps as 36 and 3 8 prevent endwise displacement of the bottles from the carrier. Furthermore, the flaps as and, and 41 and 48, serve to separate the center bottles from the endmost bottles and thereby damage to the bottles, as an incident to transportation of bottles in the carrier. is prevented. Furthermore, the flaps as 22 and 25, and 24 and 21, also serve as bottle separators and prevent damage to bottles arranged in the carrier.

In the form of my invention thus far described flaps as 45 and 41 were provided along but one edge of the intermediate webs as W in each of the bottle receiving sections. In some instances,

however, it will be advantageous to afiord additional reenforcement for these. intermediate webs and to this end additional flaps may be afiorded on such webs and one manner inwhich this may be accomplished is illustrated in Figs. 9, 10' and 11, the carton or carrier there illustrated embodying other and additional advantages, as will-now be explained.

The blank from which the erected carrier illustrated in Fig. 9 may be'formed is shown'in Fig. 11 and is generally indicated by B. This blank is substantially rectangular in outline and a fold or score line as is formed therein midway between the shorter edges of the blank B. Other .fold ore score lines 6| and 62 are formed in the blank B in parallel but spaced relation'with the score line 60 on opposite sides thereof and there by the bottom sections 63 and 64 are formedin the blank B, the bottom sections 63 and 64 being ilu adapted to be arranged in a common plane to afiord the bottom. of the carrier when it is erected. Moreover, handle sections as 65 and 66.

are defined at the ends of the blank B, these handle sections respectively extending from the free ends of the blank to fold or score lines as 6! and 68 along which webs as We in the respective bottle receiving sections 69 and 10 are joined to the handle sections as 65 and 66. Furthermore, fold or score lines as H and 12 are provided at the opposite ends of the webs as Wa whereby side wall sections I3 and 14 are afforded, the side wall section 13 being disposed between the score lines H and BI, while the sidewall seciion I4 is disposed between the score lines 12 and I have found it advantageous-to. reenforce the edges of the handle sections 65 and 66, the side wall sections 13 and "and the bottom sections 63'and 64. Hence, flaps 15 and 16 are joined to the side edges of the handle section 65 along fold or score lines i1 and 18, respectively, flaps l9 and as being similarly Joined to the side edges oi the handle section 8 8 along fold lines 8| and 82, respectively. Likewise, flaps as and 84 are joined to the side edges of the side wall section l3 along fold or score lines iii; and 85, while flaps 8i and 8d are joined to the side edges of the side wall section id along fold or score lines 39 and 98. Still further flaps as Si and 92 are joined to the end edges of the bottom section 63 alon fold or score lines 98 and 9%, while flaps 95 and as are joined to the end edges of the bottom section as along fold or score lines 97 and 98. As will he observedirom Fig. 11, the score lines as 59, hi and Marc extended to the edges of the blank so as to serve as dividers between the flaps respectively joined to the end edges of the sides and end walls. Desirably, however, the flap as Ed at the side edges of handle sections as he and 6d terminate in cut edges as as that merge into the score line as d? to thereby confine the length of the flap as it to the length of the handle section Bottle retaining and web reenforcing flaps E and IOI are Provided at the outer edges of the webs Wa at the end edges of the bottle receiving section 69, these flaps being respectively joined to such webs along score lines I02 and I03, respectively. Moreover, bellows folds as I04 and I05 are interposed between adjacent ends of the flaps I00 and 83 and the flaps IOI and 84. Flaps I06 and I0'l are joined to the endmost webs Wain the bottle receiving section along score lines I08 and I09 and adjacent ends of the flaps I06 and 81 are interconnected by a bellows fold H0, while adjacent ends of the flaps I01 and 88 are interconnected by a bellows fold II I. Asan incident to the assembly of the blank B to afiord a carton such as shown in Fig. 10, the various flaps at the side edges of the various sections of the blank B are folded over onto the adjacent portion of the section to which such flaps are joined along a fold line as, for example, the flap I5 is folded over onto the adjacent portion of the handle section 65 along the fold line 11. With the flaps so folded over onto the adjacent sections of the blank, the blank may thereafter be folded along the medialfold line 60 to thereby arrange the carton in its fiat folded state shown in Fig. 10.

The carton afforded by the blank B like that afl'orded by the blank I is adapted to accommodate bottles of predetermined height and therefore the various portions of the blank are so related one to the other than when the carton is arranged in its erected condition and bottles are stored therein, part of the handle portions as 65 and 66 will project above the parts of the.

sirably in the part thereof that extends above the tops of the bottles as'aforesaid, an opening II2 is suitably located in the handle portion as .65 and desirably the blank is severed along all edges of the opening II2 so as to thereby cut away the material. Another opening I I3 is provided in the handle section 66 in a location similar to the location of the opening I I2 in the handle sction'65 but in forming the opening I I3 the material is not cut away along all edges thereof wh reby a flap Ill is defined. which is desirably jo nedto the. blank B along a fold line I I5 that is preferably afforded along the edge of the opening 3 juxtaposed the adjacent short end of the blank B. When the carton is in its erected condition, as shown in Fig. 9, the flap II4 may be inserted through the opening H3 and thereby a smooth edge may be presented along the upper edge of the hand opening thus afforded in the handle portion of my carrier.

I have found it desirable in many instances to reenforce the parts of the handle sections of my carrier intermediate the openings as H2 and M8 in the handle sections as and 6E and the adjacent short edge of the blank as B. Thus a flap as lit may be formed along at least one shorter edge of.

the blank as B and in the present instance 1 have joined the flap l 56 to the free edge oi the handle section along a fold line ill. The flap Me is adapted to be folded onto the adjacent portion of the handle section 55 when the flaps as is are folded onto this handle section and the flap H6 is sized to lie between a fold line as lie and the foldline as ill which will thereupon afford the free edge of the handle section 85. It will be understood that a flap similar to the flap H8 could be provided on the handle section 65. In any event, however, the provision of one or more flaps as He intermediate the hand opening afforded by aligned openings as I I2 and I I3 and the adjacent end of the assembled carton will aiford a reenforcement between the hand opening and the upper edge of the carton.

While a reenforcement such as that afforded by one or more flaps as I I6 tends to prevent tearing of the handle portion of the carton and similar injury to the carton, I have found that failures of handle arrangements, embodying openings located as the openings H2 and H3 are located in the present carton, have usually been occasioned by tearing of the material away from the shorter edges of an opening as I I2, Fig. 11, to the adjacent end of the handle section. Thus in addition to the reenforcement afforded by one or more flaps as I I6 which tends to prevent such tearing of the handle portion, I provide rivets H8 and M9 for the purpose of securing the handle sections as 85 and 66 together and I so locate the rivets 5 I8 and H9 that substantially the medial part of the extent thereof is arranged in vertical alignment with the shorter edges of a rectangular hand opening as H0 in a handle portion as H, Fig. 10. Such location of the rivets affords reenforcement for what I have found to be weak portions in prior handle arrangements and mitigates against the likelihood of the carrier tearing away from the shorter ends of hand openings as H0.

The spacing of the webs as Wa in the bottle receivin section as 69 is such as to define bottle receiving openings I20, I28 and lid in'the bottle receiving section 89, and these openings are defined by severing the material in the bottle receiving sections intermediate the webs as We in such a manner as to provide bottle separating flaps.

Thus a bottle embracing edge Fla is defined on the most right-hand web Wa as the blank is viewed in Fig. 11 by severing the material of the bottle receiving section 69 along an arcuate line I23, and a similar bottle embracing edge is provided on the web We adjacent the aforesaid section 85. The line of severance I24 terminates in a. line of severance I25 that extends at right angles to the extent of the web Wa adjacent the most right-hand web Wa, this line of sever ance I25 terminating in a fold line I28 in the I web Wa, described more fully presently. Moreover, the line of severance I25 is located along the extentoi the web We intermediate the medial part of said web and the fold line 51 along which such web is joinedto the handle section 55. The line of severance I25 terminates in a line of severance I21 that extends in parallel relation with the fold line I26 but which is spaced from the fold line to the right thereof as the parts are viewed in Fig. 11. Thus the lines of severance I24, I25and I21 in cooperation with the line 'of severance I23 define the outline of a tab I28 which includes a free edge I29 that is extended in parallel relation with, but spaced from, the fold line 1| along which the most right-hand web Wu and the web Wa immediately to the left thereof are 'joined to the side wall section .13. Moreover, the edge 129 in cooperation with the lines of severance I25 and I21 define the outline of a flap I30 that has the edge thereof parallel with the line of severance I21 joined to theweb Wa immediately to the left of the most righthand web Wa along the fold line I 25.-

Lines of severance 'as I23, I24, I25 and I21 and an edge like the edge I29 are provided inter j mediate themost left-hand'web Wa and the web Wairnmediately tothe right thereof as the parts are viewed in Fig, 11, whereby a tab I3I and a bottle receiving sections along a score line I5I flap I32 are formed in the opening I20 as the tab I28 and the flap I30 are formed in the opening I 22, the flap I32 being connected to the web Wa and are divided one from the other by a line of severance I30 disposed substantially midway between the intermediate webs We. Moreover, a tab I31 is defined by a line of severance I38 to lie m. Furthermore the flaps m and m are joined to one of the intermediate webs Wain the while the flaps I45 and I49 are joined to the other intermediate web in the bottle receiving section along a score line I52.

tions of such juxtaposed handle sections are d e l sirably joined by rivets I53 and I54 extended therethrough adjacent the fold lines 51 and 60 near the side edges of the handle sections as shown in Fig. 10. Rivets located in this manner serve to retain the juxtaposed handle sections together and thereby aiford a firm handle portion -as H. It will be understood thatthe handle sections might be .adhesively secured together in some instances without departing from the purview of the present invention. In any event,

however, when the handle sections are interconnected, the flaps that are folded over onto the sections to which they are joined along fold lines, with the exception of the flaps joined to the side edges of the bottle receiving sections which are acted on by means as the bellows folds, are flrmly held in position between the two adjacent sides of the carton when it is in its flat between the intermediate webs Wa, the line of severance I33 terminating'at the ends of the fold line 61 along which the intermediate webs We are joined to the handle section 55' and extending inwardly for a short distance and then merging into an arcuate portion in the line of severance to thereby aiford an arcuate end portion on the tab I31.

side wall section 13. Another. line of severance I40 also extends from the aforesaid ends of the score line II and includes an arcuate portion faced away from the adjacent partof the side wall section 13 whereby edges are formed on the flaps I34 and I35 in spaced relation with the adjacent part of the side wall section 13.

Furthermore, bottle receiving openings I4I, I42 and I43 are provided in the bottle receiving section 10 and a tab I44 and a flap I45 are formed in the bottle receiving opening I in the mannor in which the tab I and the flap I are formed in the bottle receiving opening I22. Likewise, a tab I46 and a flap I41 are formed in the bottle receiving opening I43 in the manner in which the tab HI and the flap I32 are formed in the bottle receiving opening I 20; Still further, a tab I48 and flaps I49 and I50 are formed in the bottle receiving opening I42 in the manner in which the tab I31 and the flaps I34 and I are formed in the bottle receiving opening folded state, and such flaps. with the exception of those joined to the end edges of the bottle receiving sections as aforesaid, also remain in reenforcing positions in engagement with the; sections of'the carton to which they are joined when the carton is erected, and this will be true whether or not such flaps are adhesively secured to these sections or merely folded thereonto as is done in the form of my invention shown in Figs. 9, 10 4 and 11.

By reason of the aforesaid interconnection of the handle sections to afford a firm handle portion as Ha when it is desired to erect the carrying carton from its flat folded state shown in Fig. 10 to its assembled condition shown in 'Fig. 9, pressure is applied, for example, tothe outer edge of the handle portion and along the fold line whereupon the bottom sections 63 and 54 fold into a common plane along the fold line and at this same time the sidewall sections 13 and 14 assume substantially parallel, but spaced, relation and at time the bottle receiving section 59 extends in substantially right angle relationship with the hen die section 65 and the side wall section 13 by reason of the interconnection thereof with these portions along the fold lines 51 and 1|, respectively, the bottle receiving section 10 also assuming such a substantially right angular relationship with respect to the handle section 65 and the side wall section 14 by reason of the interconnection thereof with these sections along the fold lines 68 and 12, respectively. Bottles as I51 may then be inserted into the various .bottle receiving openings.

As an incident to the erection ofthe carton from the flat folded state thereof shown in Fig.

10 to the erected state thereof shown in Fig. 9

and by reason of the bellows fold as I04 and I05, and H0 and III, the flaps as I00, IOI, I05 and I01 move into substantially right angular relationship with the web to which they are joined along fold lines. Moreover, movement of the flaps as IOI into such substantially right angular relationship is insured by reason of the engagement with such flaps of the arcuate edges as I29 on the adjacent tabs I28, and such edges in cooperation with tions in substantially right angular relationship with the webs to which they are joined. Such disposition of the flaps as I ill in such depending posi tions serves to prevent endwise displacement of the bottles as IE5 from the erected carrier.

O O as an incident to the insertion of a bottle I55 into one of the end openings as I43, the

flap as I4! fir such openingis bent downwardly into substantially right angular relationship with the web War to which it is joined along a. fold line as I5I, and such flap as It? is effectiveon the bottle inserted into the opening as I43 to snugly embrace the same and thereby insure retention of the bottle in the opening as I43, particularly by reason of the cooperation with such flap as I41 of an adjacent flap as I08. In=this respect it will be understood that each of the flaps I32, I30 and M5 are moved into such a depending position as an incident to the insertion of a bottle into the bottle receiving opening into which such tabs respectively project when the carrier is in its erected state shown in Fig. 9.

Furthermore, the insertion of a bottle I55 into a center opening as I42 is effective to move the flaps as Q and W into depending relation with the webs We to which they are respectively joined. Moreover, when bottles are inserted into each of the openings, the flap I48 is juxtaposed. to the flap M and the flap I50 is juxtaposed to the flap Ml, as shown in the broken-line position of Fig. 9. Thus, a double thickness of material is interposed between each center bottle and each endmost bottie and, moreover, a. double reenforcement is aiforded for the web Wa to which such juxtaposed flaps are connected along a. fold line as I5I.. Thus, effective spacing between the center and endmost bottles is afiorded and, moreover, an effective reenforcement for the intermediate webs as Wa is afforded by the interrelation of flaps as I41 and 556.

Still further, when the carrier is in its erected state, as shown in Fig. 9, the tabs NH and I56 depend from the bottle sections 65 and 66 to which they are joined and these tabs extend in juxtaposedrelaticn and thereby aflord a double thickness of material between bottles disposed in the openings are and I43. The tabs I31 and I48 likewise assume such juxtaposed relation suflicient to separate bottles in the openings I2 I and I42. This is also true with respect to the tabs I28 and I 44 which serve to separate bottles in the openings I22 and- Hi. It will therefore be seen that the carrier shown in Figs. 9, and 11 is of such a nature that a double thickness of material is disposed between each adjacent pair of bottles, whereby the bottles are effectively separated one from the other to afford substantial protection therefor. during the time the bottles are being transported in the carrier. I

Moreover, the handle portion of this novel carrier is so reenforced that the likelihood of tearing thereof in the region of the hand opening as HO afforded therein is eliminated, which insures long and efficient service of the carrier,

Further, by reason of the hereinabove described relation between the handle portion as H or Ha and other portions of the carrier, one loaded carrier may be stacked directly upon another carrier and in such instance the handle portion H or Ha of the lower carrier will be so depressed as to enable the bottom of the uppermost carrier to 12 rest on the tops of the bottles in the lowermost carrier. I

Yet further, by reason of the effective reenforcement of all of the webs afforded in the bottle receiving sections of the novel carrier shown in Figs- 9, l9 and 11 and particularly by reason of the double reenforcement of the intermediate webs in these bottle receiving sections, the likelihood of damage to such webs in the use of the carrier is substantially eliminated and such webs are I rendered sufficiently strong to withstand the service to which they will be put in the course of use of the carrier.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that these are capable of variation and modification and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

claim:

1. A collapsible bottle carrier formed from a single blank of material and adapted to carry two parallel rows of bottles, and comprising, in its erected or bottle carrying condition, a bottom wall, side walls, a handle section, and a bottle receiving section at each side of said handle section and adjacent the lower end .of the latter, each of said bottle receiving sections being Joined at its outer edge to the upper edge of one of said side walls and being joined at its inner edge to the lower end portion of said handle section, each of said bottle receiving sections having a row of spaced bottle receiving openings formed therein and each of said rows of bottle receiving openings including a central bottle receiving opening and an additional bottle receiving opening at each side of said central bottle receiving opening, each of said bottle receiving sections having an end flap formed thereon at each end thereof and there being one of said flaps at the outer side of each of said additional bottle receiving openings, said flaps being collapsed against, and into substantially parallel relationship with, said bottle receiving sections,

and on the inner side of the latter, when said bottle carrier is in a collapsed, folded condition, and operating means operable upon said flaps to automatically move said flaps into a downwardly extending or substantially vertical position as and when said bottle carrier is erected into bottle carrying position.

2. A bottle carrier as defined in claim l in which each of the side walls has an inturned marginal edge portion at each end thereof and in which said inturned marginal portions are adhesively secured to said bottle receiving sections on the inner side of the latter and in which each of saidv end flaps has a bellows fold connection at one end thereof with the adjacent one of said inturned marginal edge portions.

3. In a collapsible bottle carrier formed from cardboard or like material, a bottom wall section, side wall sections, a handle section, and bottle receiving sections interposed between the handle section and the side wall sections, flaps joined to at least selected of the free edges of said sections along fold lines whereby each such flap may be augment th reeniorcing' eifectof such flap on such section.

4. In a collapsible bottle carrier formed from cardboard or like material, a bottom wall section, side wall sections, a handle section, and bottle receiving sections interposed between the handle section and the side wall sections, flaps joined to the free edges of said side wall and bottle receiving sections along fold lines whereby each such flap may be folded over onto the section to which it is joined to reenforce such section, and a bellows fold connection between adjacent ends of such flaps and effective to automatically'move the flap joined to the bottle receiving section into substantially right angular relation with such section when and as the collopsible carrier is erected to bottle carrying position to thereby augment the reenforcing effect of such fla on such section.

5. A pre-formed collapsible bottle carrier formed from cardboard or like material and comprising a bottom wall, side walls, a handleportion, and bottle receiving sections extended between a side wall and a handle portion, each of said bottle receiving sections comprising a plurality of webs arranged at spaced intervals therein to afford bottle receiving openings in these sections, said webs having the ends thereof respectively connected to the handle portion and a side wall along score lines, at least selected of said webs being cut away along one side and intermediate the ends thereof to afford bottle embracing edges thereon whereby relatively narrow portions are defined in the webs substantially midway between the ends thereof, and flaps joined to said webs along score lines disposed at the edges of said webs opposite the bottle embracing edges thereon and along which score lines said flaps may be folded into angular relation with said webs to reenforce the webs primarily at the narrow portions thereof.

6. A pre-formed collapsible bottle carrier formed from cardboard or like material and comprising a bottom wall, side walls, a handle portion, and bottle receiving sections extended between a side wall and the handle portion, each of said bottle receiving sections having a plurality of bottle receiving openings afforded therein between webs spanning the space between the handle portion and a side wall and which webs are joined at their opposite ends to the side wall and the handle section along score lines of relatively protracted length, said webs being cut away along an edge thereof toward the medial portion thereof to thereby provide relatively narrow medial portions in the webs, bottle engaging flaps joined to said webs along score lines at the other edges thereof and normally lying in the plane in which the webs are disposed and being foldable to downwardly projecting positions to thereby reenforce the medial portions of said webs and to space apart bottles disposed in adjacent bottle receiving openings whereby bottles may be located in said carrier in closely spaced relation and the over-all width of the carrier is restricted.

7. A bottle carrier made from cardboard or like material and comprising a bottom wall, side walls extended substantially perpendicular to said bottom wall when the carrier is erected, a handle section, and a plurality of webs extended in spaced but substantially parallel relation between each side wall and the handle section, the spacing between adjacent webs on each side of the handle section affording bottle receiving openings through which bottles may be passed to have the lower ends thereof rested on said bottom wall,

each of said webs including relatively wide end portions respectively joined to a side wall and the handle section, at least selected of said webs having parts thereof severed from the adjacent side wall and the handle section and having fold lines therein along which the severed parts of saidwebs may be folded to thereby afford depending portions effective to reenforce such webs and which portions, when disposed between bottles arranged in adjacent openings, serveto separate such bottles one from the other.

8. A pre-formed collapsible bottle carrier formed from cardboard or like material and comprising a bottom wall, side walls, a handle portion, and bottle receiving sections extending between a side wall and the handle portion, each of said bottle receiving sections comprising a plurality of webs arranged at spaced intervals therein to afford bottle receiving openings in these sections, said webs having the ends thereof respectively connected to the handle portion and a side wall along score lines, at least selected of said webs having fold lines therein extended therealong in substantially right angular relation with the score lines at the ends thereof, and flaps joined to such aweb along the fold line therein and fo-ldable along the fold line into substantially right angular relation with the web and into juxtaposed relation with each other to thereby reenforce the web and be effective to separate bottles arranged in the bottle receiving openings on opposite sides of the web.

9. A collapsible bottle carrier formed from a blank of cardboard or like material that is cut and scored to provide, in the carrier when it is erected to bottle receiving condition, a bottom wall, side walls, a handle portion, and bottle receiving sections respectively disposed between a side wall and the handle portion and each comprising a plurality of webs joined at their opposite ends to the side wall and the handle portion along score lines, the webs in each bottle receiving section being spaced apart therein and the material of the blank intermediate at least selected of adjacent webs being cut to afford a tab separated from said webs and the side wall but joined to said handle portion intermediate adfrom said handle portion in alignment therewith when the carrier is erected, said intermediate material also being cut to afford a flap separated from said tab, the handle portion, the side wall and one of said webs, said flap being joined to the other of said webs along acfold line whereby the flap may be folded into substantially right angular relation with the web to which it is joined to reenforce the same, the tab, when in downwardly extending relation with said handle portion, in cooperation with said flap when it is arranged in angular relation with said web disclosing an opening into which a bottle may be inserted between said adjacent webs to have the bottom thereof rested on said bottom wall.

- 10. A collapsible bottle carrier formed from a blank of cardboard or like material that is cut and scored to provide, in the carrier when it is ceiving sections respectively disposed between a side wall and the handle portion and each comprising a plurality of webs Joined at their opposite ends to the side wall and the handle portion along score lines, the webs in each bottle receiv.

7 ing section being spaced apart therein and the material of the blank intermediate webs at each side of an intermediate web being cut to afford tabs separated from the webs and the side wall but joined to the handle portion intermediate adjacent ends of the fold lines along which said intermediate web and the webs on each side thereof are joined to the handle P rtion wherebysuch tabs may be projected downwardly from said handle portion in alignment therewith when p the carrier is erected, said intermediate material also being cut to afford flaps separated from saidtabs, the handle portion, and the side wall and the webs on each side of said intermediate web,

said flaps being joined to the intermediate web along a fold line whereby the flap may be folded into substantially right angular relation with the intermediate web and into juxtaposed relation with each other to reenforce the intermediate web, said tabs, when in downwardly extending relation with the handle portion, in cooperation with said flaps when the flaps are arranged in angular relation with the intermediate web, disclosing openings into which bottles may be inserted between said intermediate web and the webs on each side thereof, said flaps when in juxtaposed relation being effective to separate bottles inserted into such openings to have the lower ends thereof rested on the bottom wall.

'11. A collapsible bottle carrier formed from a blank of cardboard or like material that is cut and scored to provide, in the carrierwhen it is erected to bottle receiving condition, a bottom wall, side walls, a handle portion, and bottle receiving sections respectively disposed between a side wall and the handle portion and each comprising a plurality of webs joined at their opposite ends to the side wall and the handle portion along score lines, the webs in each bottle receiving section being spaced apart therein whereby a web is disposed at each end of each bottle receivingsection and other webs are disposed intermediate such end webs, the endmost webs and the intermediate webs in the respective bottle receiving sections being aligned one with the other, the material of the blank intermediate adjacent webs being cut to afford a tab separated from such webs and the side wall but joined to the handle portion intermediate adjacent ends of the fold lines along which such adjacent webs are joined to the handle portion whereby each tab may be projected downwardly from the handle portion in alignment therewith when the carrier is erected, the tabs between aligned webs in the respective bottle sections being arranged in juxtaposed relation when disposed in such downwardly projecting positions, the intermediate material intermediate adjacent webs also being cut to afford a flap separated from the tab between such adjacent webs, the handle portion, the side wall and the one of said adjacent webs disposed at an end of the bottle receiving section, the flaps s afforded on opposite sides of each intermediate web being Joined to such intermediate web along a fold line whereby the flaps may be folded into substantially right angular relation with the web to which they are joined to thereby reinforce such web, said tabs, when in downwardly extending ,relation with the handle portion and in juxtaposed relation with each other, in cooperation with the flaps when the flaps are arranged in angular relation with the web to which they are joined, disclosing openings intermediate adjacent webs into which bottles may beinserted 16 to have the lower 'ends thereof rested on the bottom wall, the juxtaposed tabs and the juxtaposed flaps affording a double thickness of material intermediate bottles arranged in adjacent openings whereby the bottles in such adjacent openings are effectively separated one from the other. a

12. A pro-formed bottle carrier formed from cardboard or like material and adapted to receive bottles of predetermined height and comprising a bottom wall, side walls, a handle portion, and bottle receiving sections extended between the side walls and the handle pbrtion whereby the handle portion is disposed above said bottom wall substantially midway between said side walls, said bottle receiving sections having bottle receiving openings therein, flaps cut from said bottle re ceiving sections and disposed to depend from the handle portion in alignment therewith, said handle portion including a part which may extend above the tops of bottles of said predetermined height that are disposed in said bottle receiving openings and rested on said bottom wall, said part having a handle opening therein, said flaps having the lower edges thereof normally spaced from said bottom wall sufflciently to enable limited downward movement of said handle portion to thereby enable the upper free end of said handle portion to be moved downwardly substantially into alignment with the tops of the bottles whereby said part of said handle portion may be depressed so as not to interfere with the stacking of one bottle carrying carrier of the aforesaid character directly over and upon the tops of bottles in another such carrier.

13 A pre-formed collapsible bottle carrier formed from cardboard or like material and comprising a bottom wall, side walls, a handle portion, and a bottle-receiving section extended between a side wall and the handle portion, said bottle-receiving section comprising a plurality of webs arranged at spaced intervals therein to afford bottle-receiving openings in this section, said webs having the ends thereof respectively connected to the handle portion and said side wall along score lines, at least selected of said webs being cut away along one side and intermediate the ends thereof to afford bottle embracing edges thereon whereby relatively narrow portions are defined in the webs substantially midway between the ends thereof, and flaps joined to said webs along score lines disposed at the edges of said webs opposite the bottle embracing edges thereon and along which score lines said flaps may be folded into angular relation with said Webs to reinforce the webs pri marily at the narrow portions thereof.

14. A pre-formed collapsible bottle carrier formed from cardboard or like material and comprising a bottom wall, side walls, a handle portion, and a bottle-receiving section extended between a side wall and the handle portion, said bottle-receiving section having a plurality of bottle-receiving openings afforded therein between webs spanning the space between the handle portion and said side Wall and which Webs are joined at their opposite ends to the side wall and the handle section along score lines of relatively protracted length, said webs being cut away along an edge thereof toward the medial portion thereof to thereby provide relatively narrow medial portions in the webs, bottle engaging flaps joined to said websalong scorelines at the other edges thereof and normally lying in the plane in which the webs are disposed and being foldable to downwardly projecting positions to thereby reinforce the medial portions of said webs and to space apartv bottles disposed in adjacent bottle-receiving open.- ings whereby bottles may be located in said carrier in closely spaced relation and the over-all width of the carrier is restricted.

15. A pre-formed bottle carrier formed from cardboard or like material and adapted to receive bottles of predetermined height and comprising a bottom wall, side walls joined to said bottom wall along score lines at corresponding edges thereof, a handle portion, and bottle-receiving sections extended between the side walls and the handle portion and hingedly connected to said side walls and handle portion along score lines disposed parallel to each other and the first named score lines, said bottle-receiving sectionshaving bottle-receiving openings therein, extensions depending from the handle portion in alignment therewith, said handle portion including a part which may extend above the tops of bottles of said predetermined height'that are disposed in said bottle-receiving openings and rested on said bottom wall, said part having a handle opening therein, the lower edges of said extensions being disposed above said bottom wall when said part of said handle portion is extended above the tops of bottles in said bottle-receiving sections and said extensions being so sized that when said part of said handle portion is extended as aforesaid the lower edges of said extensions are spaced from said bottom wall sufliciently to enable limited downward movement of said handle portion to thereby enable the upper free end of said handle portion to be moved downwardly about the said 18 second named score lines as hinges substantially into alignment with the tops of the bottles of said predetermined height disposed in said bot-- JOSEPH L. LYONS, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: T

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 18,922 Troyk Aug. 22, 1933 D. 130,065 DiRico et al Oct. 21, 1941 1,498,375 Helfrich -L June 17, 1924 1,687,137 Myers Oct. 9, 1928 1,712,779 Vierengel May 14, 1929 1,794,125 Sugerman Feb. 24, 1931 1,896,677 Myers Feb. 7, 1933 1,995,280 Everhart Mar. 19, 1935 2,074,638 Black Mar. 23, 1937 2,152,649 -J0nes Apr. 4, 1939 2,239,564 Lyons Apr. 22. 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 356,067 Great Britain Sept. 3, 1931 585,024 France Dec. 1, 1934 

